


Serpent's Song

by thechaoscryptid



Series: For the Dancing and the Dreaming [1]
Category: Promare (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Animal Traits, Cultural Differences, Developing Friendships, Gen, Magic, Naga, Soulmates, Worldbuilding, bard Gueira, naga Meis, very minimally mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:20:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25036108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thechaoscryptid/pseuds/thechaoscryptid
Summary: If Lio asks that he accept Gueira, he supposes he'll do his best.It just might take some time.
Relationships: Lio Fotia & Gueira, Lio Fotia & Meis
Series: For the Dancing and the Dreaming [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1813180
Comments: 7
Kudos: 14





	Serpent's Song

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted monsterfucking and then plot happened *shrug*
> 
> I'll be dropping pieces for the AU occasionally throughout the year in this series, instead of making it one long work. Eventual GueiMei and potential GaloLio. Also eventually actual soulmate shenanigans in the form of "one soulmate is born knowing a melody, and the other the harmony"
> 
> Excuses and/or shame? None. I love one snakey boi. Also, many thanks to the GueiMei server for encouraging this ❤

Meis senses the travelers long before their footsteps bring them to the edge of the forest at the base of the mountain. Their presence tugs at his consciousness, sifts through the pleasant sun-soaked static that occupies his mind to dredge up a feeling of peace, fulfillment. His tail flicks against black cliffs as he settles his head further into his arms, hiding his eyes from the light and plunging the world into darkness.

Gentle vibrations ripple the air around him when he hums, the sound taken away by the breeze, and he hisses happily. Here he'll sit, a lord upon his throne, as he watches out for whoever's brave enough to have made their way through the Proma Mountains to knock upon Inferra's door.

Inferra, on a day like today, is bound to be brimming with activity. The very air itself will sing with magic, coerced from the land to be shaped by the careful palms and knife-sharp tongues of the Burnish. Flares will crackle through the sky to set it ablaze, and Meis will revel in the celebratory shouts of beginners just mastering the power that burns within them.

The day is a kind one. The sky is cloudless, leaving sunlight to filter onto the road through the trees below. It drenches the artfully arranged bones on the banks in gold, highlights the wordless warnings of  _ harm us and perish.  _ Meis and the Burnish both have been through too much for their greetings to be anything else.

Long before Lio stumbled into Meis's temple, he’d made his peace with the fact that solitude was to be the way of things. It's not often that one finds their soulmate simply wandering in the mountains, and after a disastrous venture out of the range and into the province proper, he's grown to love his song all on its own. The melody isn't so bad alone, after all, and a song is still a song even without a harmony.

Kascha's thundering paws distract him from tracing idle patterns in the rock, his ears twitching as he turns to watch her skid to a stop mere inches from his coils. "What've you got there?" he asks softly, extending a hand. "Is that food for me?" 

The cat tugs back when his fingers wrap around the rabbit's leg. Eyes wide, she gives a small shake of her head.

"I don't want to play today, darling," he says.

Kascha rests her chest on the ground, tail waving in the air.

"Put it down if you're going to be a brat, then, we have work to do." With the end of his tail, he guides her head to look down to the road. Lio's telltale hair blows in the breeze, and Kascha starts when Meis laughs at the way the Burnish leader has to shove it out of his face. "You'd think he'd learn to tie it back eventually," he tuts fondly. "Let's go see who that is with him."

Stray stones clatter down the cliffside as they set off, Meis's scales rasping over old, forgotten steps carved into the rock as he begins to hum again. The song is eternal, neverending--it hasn't stopped since he was no larger than a hatchling, and though he's made his peace with the notes alone, Kascha's rumbling purr as she swats at bugs is a welcome accompaniment.

"You're going to fall," he says, guiding her back from the edge and into one of the old temple tunnels. "They used to say cats were so graceful...whatever happened to you?"

She gives him a discontented look before padding on. The stone around them thrums with the energy of the gods below, warmed by their presence, and Meis pauses to brush away a few stray leaves from the base of a carved obsidian flame. He's off again in the next second, slithering past Kascha and into the light as the tunnel leads him out behind Lio and his companion. Stone gives way to soil, and bark rasps against Meis's scales as he winds into a tree to their right. He lays himself out on a low-hanging branch, clawed fingers tapping out the rhythm of Lio's companion's whistling.

Lio spots Kascha first, giving her a small wave and kind smile. The man who's with him is a bit taken aback by her size, but at Lio's urging, kneels and offers his hand. "Hello," he says. Then, in broken (but no less confident) Burnish, "I hear you guard the mountain."

In the tree, Meis fights back a laugh. Lio's gaze flicks over to the sound, and Meis dips his head in acknowledgement before letting the rest of the scene play out. It's Lio's way with those he chooses to bring to the village--should anyone have an issue with a leopard guarding the pass, they'll certainly have an issue with Meis, and if they have a problem with Meis, they won't fit in with the rest of the Burnish.

Turning back to the traveler, Lio says in Common, "This is Kascha."

"She's enormous," the newcomer says. He swallows hard as she steps forward and crouches low to the ground. "Is she--she's not going to--:

Kascha gives him a playful yowl and flops over onto her back, batting at his hands.

"Mind the claws," Lio warns her.

The man's laughter rings through the trees to resonate with something deep inside Meis. The sound sends a shiver through him, from the tips of his ears through the thick of his tail and to the very tip of that, too, and he stiffens at the feeling of  _ intimacy  _ it stirs in him.

He shakes his head to clear it.

It won't do to be so captivated by just anyone Lio brings back to Inferra--that is not his place, not his work.

The branch groans when he coils further onto it, and Lio smiles as Meis rests the end of his tail on his shoulder. "Gueira," he calls to the traveler, who's now on the ground himself as he plays with Kascha, "how would you like to meet the true guardian of the pass?" 

"The--" Gueira sits up, errant leaves in his hair as he stares in the entirely wrong direction. "She's not it?" 

Lio chuckles darkly as Meis drops his tail to the forest floor, hanging onto the branch with both arms to stretch out his spine as his tongue flicks out to taste the air. There's Lio's ashen scent and the warm smell of the leather he wears, but there's more. Gueira smells of wool and woodsmoke, of salt and the steel of the sword he carries on his back.

"Not Burnish," he says in their tongue, letting the word trail off in a hiss as he cocks his head. "An unusual companion for you, Lio, is he not?"

"I'm-- _ fuck,"  _ Gueira yelps, turning and scrambling back in the next second when he takes Meis in. He shuts his eyes and holds a hand to his chest, and Meis plops into his waiting coils. "You couldn't have warned me?" 

Meis yawns, making a show of it as Lio looks between the two of them. His jaw drops, drops, drops until Gueira's face is as pale as the discarded antlers by his side, and there it hangs until Gueira looks well and properly horrified. "It'sss...not something you warn for," he says when he's readjusted, Common this time. "Why have you come?" 

To his credit, Gueira  _ does  _ seem to be doing his best to fit in already as he tries to explain. "I've been...traveled," he says in Burnish, and Lio corrects him. "Travelling the hills--no, the--shit. Proma. I've been travelling the Proma to find brother."

"Partner," Lio corrects.

"Partner." Gueira nods, about to try again, and then thinks better of it. In rapid-fire Common, he says, "I  _ was  _ on the road as an entertainer as I looked for my soulmate, but our lord and savior--" He puts on airs, prances in a circle for a few seconds before dropping the act and touching the hilt of his sword. "Well, part of Kray's  _ guard  _ decided it would be better if my lute and I were to part ways."

"Turns out their king doesn't take kindly to criticism," Lio says.

"That doesn't answer my question," Meis says. He slithers closer, sizing Gueira up with curious eyes. "Why've you come to Inferra?"

To his credit, Gueira stands firm even as Meis towers over him. "Lio asked me to come," he says, voice quavering only the slightest bit. "He'd like the history of the Burnish put to song, and I jumped at the chance after he told me about Inferra and its history."

Meis drops to his belly to circle around him, curiosity getting the better of him as he picks at the various odds and ends adorning Gueira's clothes. "A bard," he muses. He runs his fingers over the tooling of Gueira's scabbard before drawing the sword a few inches to examine it. "This is not a bard's weapon."

"No weapon is really my weapon," Gueira laughs nervously. "I, uh, snatched it off of one of Kray's guards during the skirmish Lio rescued me from."

"Getting into fights in the city, are we?" Meis asks in Burnish. He raises a brow at Lio, who's distracted by Kascha rolling around his feet. "And then taking in strays? What's special about this one? Weren't we putting an end to outsiders for the time being? Kray's been on the prowl once again."

"He's not Burnish, but there's potential in those hands," Lio says, quickly tipping his head to Gueira. "He'd be in just as much danger if he stayed near the cities. And--" Meis isn't sure he likes the look in Lio's eyes when he glances over. "I want him to take your story, as well. We don't know how many of you are left, and I think it's a good opportunity."

The shock must be evident on Meis's face, because when Gueira turns around, he immediately begins asking questions. "What? What did you tell him, Lio? Also, I really do need some new instruments, is that something you Burnish do? Or, oh!" His eyes go wide as he grins. "Can you make me a flute from your flames?"

"The question isn't  _ can  _ I, but rather if you'd be able to touch it without being incinerated," Lio says.

"I'd like to see him try," Meis snorts, earning himself a swat on his tail. "Oh, come on, Lio, he's very..." He sizes Gueira up again before moving to rest his head on Lio's shoulder and a hand between Kascha's shoulders. "Very loud," he settles on.

"Be nice," Lio warns softly. "I think you'll find you'll warm up to him sooner than you think. I certainly did."

"You know, in polite society, it's nice to speak about someone when they can actually understand and defend themselves," Gueira grumbles.

"I was only telling him things so he'll get to enjoying you sooner," Lio says.

"Uh huh," Gueira says, clearly unimpressed as Meis hisses low in his throat.

"You're being quite rude," Lio says to Meis, rubbing a knuckle over the line between skin and scale on his arms. "I can take him the rest of the way to Inferra myself, all right? There's no need to be so standoffish."

"Mm." Meis leans into the touch and Lio's warmth, tail twitching against a tree trunk as he and Gueira stare at each other. When at last Gueira breaks first, Meis pulls away. "The sword," he says, holding out a hand. "I'll keep it for the time being."

"Gladly." Gueira unbuckles the scabbard from his chest and shoves the weapon into Meis's waiting arms, all too eager to be rid of it. "What?" he asks when Lio cocks his head in question. "Just because I _can_ wield one doesn't mean I _want_ to. Besides, that knight was an absolute prick. His sword deserves to be laid to rest."

Lio makes a quiet noise of agreement. "You're welcome to come along with us," he says. "I'm sure Thyma would love to see you, if you haven't been up since I left."

"It's only been a month," Meis says, but Lio's right. It's been too many days since he was last in the village, and truth be told, he does miss the vitality of the Burnish community. He lays himself on the ground and knits his hands below his chin. "Kascha brought home a rabbit just before we spotted you," he continues. "I'll bring it up so someone can skin it and use the fur."

"I'd kill for some rabbit stew right about now," Gueira says. He rests a hand on his stomach as it growls, face reddening. "Or any food, really."

"The rabbit's mine," Meis says. His ears pin against his head as his eyes narrow, mouth opening just enough to allow a glimpse of his fangs to peek through. "Not yours."

"Gods below," Lio curses, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Go fetch the rabbit, Meis--we'll be on our way now." He gestures up the road, and Gueira wastes no time in setting off. When he's safely out of earshot, he turns back to Meis, who blinks hard at the irritation in his frame. "He's here to stay, if only for the coming winter," he says. "Can you at least  _ try  _ to be kind for a few months?"

"He's an outsider," Meis says.

"He's my friend," Lio snaps, but softens in the next seconds before sighing. "We've been caring for each other for a long time now, haven't we?"

Meis nods.

"And you know me, trust me."

Meis nods again, though it wasn't a question.

"So trust me when I say I believe this will be beneficial for all of us," Lio says quietly. When Kascha mouths at his hand, he winces.  _ "Teeth,  _ Kascha. Yours are entirely too large for that."

Wrapping his tail gently around her, Meis tugs her back to his side, much to her annoyance. "I know, I know," he says, smoothing a hand over her head. He turns back to Lio. "You also said that you weren't interested in anyone like that," he continues, "so is he a friend, or a  _ friend?" _

"Our songs are discordant at best," Lio says. "Not even in the same key."

"Ah."

Lio looks to where Gueira's paused up the road, waves to him. "If you can unwrap your tail from your eyes, I think you'll really enjoy him. I promise, all right? Now--" He sidesteps Kascha's paws and insists  _ yes, he's coming  _ when Gueira calls for him. "I'll tell Thyma you'll be over with a rabbit and...anything else?"

"There's a few things I need before the cold comes," Meis says. "Blankets and such. Mine are getting old."

"The invitation still stands for you to winter in Inferra," Lio says.

"I'll be all right." Meis shoos him up the road before he can offer again, because he always feels a bit bad for turning him down. It isn't that he doesn't  _ want  _ to winter with the Burnish--quite the opposite, in fact, he figures he'd quite enjoy it--but rather the fact that if he abandons the mountain temple he's made his home in, he fears the gods won't look kindly upon him.

Kascha perks up at something rustling in the underbrush and is off before Meis can even pinpoint the sound, rushing off quicker than a flare from an undisciplined child's hand. Meis sighs and fastens the sword to his back before calling her and retreating into the tunnels once again.

If Lio asks that he accept Gueira, he supposes he’ll do his best.

It just might take some time.

**

Inferra is, for lack of a better word, stunning. Bright banners flap in the breeze as the gate opens at Lio's command, the sounds of laughter and scent of fire drifting down the road to blanket them. Gueira's heart thuds in his chest, loud as any drum, and his head swings back and forth in an attempt to take in all he possibly can at once. Everything's so vibrant, so  _ spirited,  _ that he can't help the smile that breaks across his face when a cat trots past, a small child on its heels.

The village sits atop one of the lower peaks in the range, near the border of cloud and open air. It's as though the stone's been carved out for the exact needs of the village and when Gueira wonders about it, Lio turns to him with a knowing grin. "The Promare aren't just here to watch over the land," he says. "As we carry their flames into the world, they help us in return." He gestures grandly to where mist kisses the trees surrounding the village. "We've been here a long time, forming the land as we go."

"Oh? How long was th--" Gueira breaks off in a sharp yelp when Lio pulls him to the side, out of range of the bright green flame snaking out from a window to his left. "Gods," he says, shaky as the sounds of a mother soothing a ruffled child follow soon after. "Um, does this happen often?" 

"Less often than you'd think," Lio says, continuing on as though nothing's happened and Gueira wasn't just nearly burnt to a crisp. "It's a rare day things get out of control, even with the children who haven't come into their power fully."

"Right," Gueira says. He's sure Lio hears the disbelief, but the Burnish leader doesn't acknowledge it as they make their way past more houses.

"To the right is the larger part of the village," Lio explains. "Left are our fields and livestock housing. You saw--" He stops, turns to make sure Gueira's still following. "You saw the temple entrances on the way in?"

"Mhmm."

"Meis keeps it up. There's very few of us who actually worship anymore. It wasn't ever strictly necessary--the Promare are happy to assist us as long as we use their power appropriately, but it's been Meis's home for a long time, so we visit every so often and pay our respects."

Gueira nods, continues on as they make their way through the neat streets to the town center. More than a few people give him curious glances, but only one woman pays enough attention to approach.

"Lio!" she cries. Her arms fly open as she rushes over, enveloping him in a warm hug before holding him at arm's length. They both look to Gueira, Lio with an apology on his face and the woman with suspicion and curiosity in equal measure before speaking in Burnish. "Who's this?"

"My name is Gueira," he says. The words are heavy on his tongue, making him trip and stumble over the syllables he  _ knows  _ are too formal to carry on a casual conversation. "What do they call you?"

"Thyma," she says, and smirks at Lio before firing off a string of sentences Gueira doesn't even try to comprehend.

Lio replies just as quickly, but at least has the audacity to look sheepish when Gueira clears his throat. "Just telling her how we met," he says in Common. "She was wondering why I've brought someone so...not Burnish...into our community."

It's not as though Gueira can blame her. Of all the anti-magic crackdowns of the last century, the campaign against the Burnish has been the longest and most vicious. Though not from this kingdom originally, he's seen his fair share of men, women, and children displayed for all the world to see, their deaths nothing more than senseless messages of  _ desist or die. _ He'd be suspicious of himself, too.

He racks his brain for the proper phrasing for an explanation before Lio interrupts his train of thought.

"He's still learning our tongue," he tells Thyma. "You'll have to forgive the slowness."

Thyma says something in Burnish, then sighs and lets Lio go. "So," she says, accent thick as the forests around them. "You are here to be a storyteller."

Gueira nods.

"If Lio trusts you, then I must as well." She holds out a hand and Gueira takes it, kicking himself in the next second when she adjusts his grip to her forearm. "Like this."

"Sorry," he says, a flush rising in his cheeks.

"You will learn," she says, and shakes twice before she lets him go. "Come see me when you are finished," she continues. "I will find you a place."

"Thank you." Gueira dips his head, knits his hands together and gives her a small bow.

Lio catches her just as she's turning around. Gueira hears Meis's name but doesn't catch much else, and Thyma lights up before asking a string of questions. Lio nods once and sends her on her way, then motions Gueira forward once again. "Speaking of Meis," he says, "you seem to have made quite the impression."

"Not a great one," Gueira mutters.

Chuckling, Lio tips his head to what looks to be a tavern up the street. "He'll come around in time. Probably best you don't threaten to take his food again, though."

"I wasn't trying to!" Gueira says. "He just mentioned rabbit, and it's been a while since breakfast."

"He'll get over it, I'm sure." Lio waves a hand and orders when a man walks over to lean against the post by their table, and then settles his chin on a fist. "He's always a bit tetchy around the seasonal changes. Always curses and says it makes his scales itch."

"So it wasn't just me?" 

"Oh, no, you were the bulk of it." Lio bares his teeth is a near-snarl of a smile at Gueira's scoff. "You'll find a lot of people here will take some time to warm up to your presence. I did mention it."

"Yeah, when we were half-gone at the end of a long night," Gueira shoots back.

"Still mentioned it."

Gueira stabs a finger at him accusingly. "Once I get my hands on an instrument--any one, I'm not picky--I'm writing a song about what a conniving shit you are, mark my words."

Lio shrugs. "Worse things have been said by better people." At Gueira's look, he bats the finger out of his face.  _ "I  _ trust you, and because I trust you, everyone else will in time. Be patient."

"That was never my forte," Gueira says, but that's all right. It hasn't stopped him before, and it certainly won't stop him now. He nods gratefully at the (presumably) proprietor of the place when he sets a drink in front of both of them. Around the rim, he says, "So Meis is coming, that's fun. What sort of thing did you sacrifice to garner his favor?"

"Nothing," Lio says simply, and Gueira nearly spits out the mouthful.

"Nothing?"

Tapping his fingers against his chin, Lio hums and looks just past Gueira's shoulder. "I said we've been here a long time, yeah? Meis has been here for much longer. I was one of the first Burnish to be sentenced."

"No," Gueira says, disbelieving. He looks Lio up and down once, then again, before repeating himself. "No, there's no way."

"Believe me or not. The Promare give us many gifts," Lio says, as though he's explained this a thousand times before. If what he's saying is true, though, perhaps he has. "It's true we give our lives to the flames," he continues. "But those flames sustain us long past what most consider to be normal. From the time we're old enough to commit fully to serving them, we do not die."

"Well, surely--"

"There are, of course," Lio interrupts, silencing Gueira with a gesture, "limitations. Gut us, and we die. Starve us, we die. And when our lives have been full for too long, there are no bodies to bury. 'Fire to ashes, ashes to earth,' we say, because when we burn out, there's nothing left but ash."

"That's..." There's all sorts of things Gueira could say, but he's not sure any truly convey his shock better than the way his jaw hangs uselessly.

"Some have called it a barbaric existence," Lio hedges.

"I think it's beautiful," Gueira finds himself saying. He wraps his hand around the cup and brings it to his lips once again, thoughts already racing with the potential the information holds. He imagines notes of darkness and desire, of lyrics that speak longing and love for the life the Burnish have carved out for themselves.

It's a song he can't wait to sing.

"My finding Meis was an accident," Lio says after a beat. His voice is softer, contemplative. "When I escaped the dungeons, I ran. I ran and ran until I could run no more, stuck up on this mountainside and surrounded on all sides by the crown. Eventually I found the entrance to the temple, walked in, and figured that was it for me."

"He's...well. I can see why you'd think so." He'd nearly sent Gueira skyward, and Gueira wasn't near dead with exhaustion and pain. Meis's jaw splits nearly to his ears, his eyes slitted and animal as they seek out secrets written in your soul. His paleness stands in stark contrast to the inky scales that cover his arms, back, and neck, and Gueira idly wonders if perhaps he gets tetchy because he just can't  _ reach. _

"He'd been up there alone for years," Lio recalls fondly. "I wasn't food to him." He snaps his eyes back to Gueira and straightens, clears his throat and puts both hands flat on the table. "Anyway, he's--there was once a time when he wandered as well, but decided the risk wasn't worth the reward."

"No searching for his other half?" Gueira asks.

"He's given up." Lio accepts the bowl that's set in front of him, and Gueira tucks into his immediately. The first bite's hot, the second burns, and by the time he's on the eighth, his eyes are watering.

"What's in this?" he coughs.

"Nothing special," Lio says, and then proceeds to list off two peppers Gueira’s heard of and a much longer list of things he hasn’t. Before he's finished, Gueira cuts him off.

"I'll survive," he says weakly. "Go on. Meis has given up on his soulmate."

"He's happy this way," Lio says. "Can I be honest with you?"

"I don't think my permission's ever stopped you before."

Lio snorts and gulps down a few mouthfuls before wiping his mouth on the back of his hand. "When you sang me your song, it sounded familiar," he says. "Not exact, but..."

Gueira chokes for real this time at the implication. It's a minute or two before he gets himself under control, nearly losing it again when he thinks of the way those scales had felt pressed up against his skin. He takes a deep breath, then squeaks, "Meis? Me?"

"Conniving shit, remember?"

"Meis, though!"

"Say his name again and he might appear just right here," Lio teases.

"I--we--you--" Gueira swallows hard as a woman calls the now-too-familiar name from the door, and glares at Lio. "You did that on purpose."

"And if I did?" 

"I take it back. I'm not working for you for room and board," Gueira groans. He buries his face in his hands as he sinks down in his chair, Meis's rasping Burnish sounding from the door as he calls Lio's name.

Lio tugs at his arm as he gets up, pulls him over to fall under Meis's stare. "Kascha here?" he asks.

"She's gone--" Meis begins in Burnish, then switches to Common when Gueira's shoulders fall. "She's hunting."

"Rabbit wasn't enough for both of you?" Lio teases.

"That'll only last me a few days and you know it," Meis protests.

"Are you going to let Kira watch again?"

Meis lets out a dissatisfied hiss and shudders. "Don't understand what's so exciting about me eating," he mutters, "but if she'd like."

"I'm sure it'd make Thyma happy," Lio wheedles.

"Next time I'll swallow you whole and be done with it," Meis says, but Gueira detects no truth, only camaraderie in the statement.

"Hello," he says.

"Gueira," Meis says.

"Oh, good, you remembered the name," Gueira says.

Meis looks about to say something, but instead whines and thrashes as someone in the street tramples his tail. "This is why I don't come to town often," he says. "Always something happening somewhere. Nasty business."

"You're more than welcome to come in and sit by the fire," the owner calls from behind the bar. "Keeps you out of the way of everyone's feet."

"My pleasure." Meis pushes gently past Gueira and Lio to slither amongst chairs and patrons, apologizing to the tavern hound when he accidentally elbows it as he curls in the corner.

It's a kindness Gueira didn't quite expect.

Lio, also to his surprise, doesn't insist he go and sit with Meis. They finish their dinner, making small talk about the goings-on about town until a young girl appears at the door, calling for Meis. "Mom says your food's done," she yells.

"Kira," Meis warns, drawing the name out slowly as he unwinds. "What did we say about the yelling?"

"That it hurts people's ears."

"Then why are we insisting upon it?" Meis makes his way to the door, tail trailing over Gueira's boots on his way. He pays neither Lio or Gueira any attention as he goes, but Lio doesn't seem to mind.

"You need to go to Thyma's as well," he points out. "Why not follow?"

"He's already gone," Gueira says.

"He's easy to follow." Lio gestures to the door with a smirk on his lips. "If anyone gives you hell, tell them they can come talk to me about it, all right?"

"You're not going to make this easy on me, are you?" 

Lio shakes his head. "Consider it your full introduction to Inferra," he says. "We don't believe in half-assing things here--either you give your all, or you're not welcome here. All right?"

Not one to back down from a challenge, Gueira holds his hand out. When Lio grabs his arm, he shakes, putting all the fire he can into his eyes. "I'll go find him," he says. "Come find me afterward?"

"As you wish."

Gueira leaves, makes his way through the street just by the hushed and excited whispers he hears. He follows them back through the square and down a backroad until he hears Kira's excited voice through an open window, Thyma's shushing her seconds later.

"Hey," he says, hand poised to knock when Kira yanks the door open. "I just came… to...hells..." He gulps, takes a step back as he takes in the scene ahead.

Meis's jaw is stretched wider than it was when he'd yawned on the road, his throat stuffed seemingly to the limit with what looks to be just a mass of blood and bone. His eyes widen in shock when he takes in Gueira, and all in the same second, Thyma yells something and the door shuts in his face.

"Just wanted a room," he says weakly. He steps back, a hand over his mouth. He's not exactly certain what in the  _ world  _ Lio thinks, telling him he's this... _ creature's... _ soulmate, but one thing's for certain.

There is  _ no way  _ he's letting  _ this  _ happening stay out of Inferra's chronicles.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments always read and _very_ much appreciated, and I always do my best to get back to them ❤️
> 
> You can also find me lurking and yelling about fictional characters on:  
> [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/aryagraceling)  
> [Discord](https://discord.gg/cM8FaND)  
> [Tumblr](https://aryagraceling.tumblr.com)  
> [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/601270063618951)


End file.
